Djokovic wins first match of 2022 season, Murray and Daniel also advanced in Dubai

By Ricky Dimon

Not much has been the same for Novak Djokovic so far in 2022, but that could change–at least briefly–in Dubai.

Djokovic, who is 41-6 lifetime at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with five titles, opened with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Lorenzo Musetti on Monday evening. It was the first match of the year for the world No. 1, and he cruised through it in just one hour and 12 minutes to kick off another campaign at one of his favorite tournaments in style.

“All in all, it’s a straight-sets win,” Djokovic commented, “so of course I have to be satisfied with my tennis–especially after not playing for two and a half (or) three months. Of course, there were moments when I played great; there were moments when I made a couple of unforced errors in a row, uncharacteristically. But it’s normal to expect that [in my] first match after a while.”

Djokovic’s hiatus, as the whole sports world knows, was due to missing the Australian Open after having his Australia visa cancelled. The 34-year-old could miss additional tournaments in the near future–including Indian Wells, Miami, and the French Open–because he is unvaccinated.

But he has no such issues in Dubai, and he also had no problem on the court in his first-round contest. Although Djokovic did face seven break points along the way against Musetti, he saved all of them with typically clutch tennis.

“I’m glad that I managed to finish out the job tonight in straight sets against a very talented player from Italy who possesses a lot of quality,” said the 20-time major champion, who got past Musetti in five sets at Roland Garros last spring. “Of course, he didn’t have much to lose. And in windy conditions [it was] a bit tricky to play. But all in all, (it was) a very, very pleasant experience for me tonight.”

Djokovic awaits either Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

Andy Murray, Filip Krajinovic, Jiri Vesely, and Taro Daniel also advanced on Monday. Vesely and Daniel scored respective upsets of Marin Cilic and David Goffin. Murray outlasted Christopher O’Connell 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 54 minutes.

Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.